🔥Consensus Revolution: How Ethereum Transitioned from 'Burning Energy' to 'Pooling Capital'
Have you ever wondered what the most important upgrade of Ethereum, 'The Merge', really changed? It was not just a transition from 'Mining' to 'Staking'. Behind this is a profound consensus revolution from 'Proof of Work' (PoW) to 'Proof of Stake' (PoS).
Change in Core Philosophy: From 'Physical Competition' to 'Economic Game'
⭐️In the Past (PoW): Security relied on 'Physical Computing Power', where miners competed to consume energy to prove themselves; it was an outward, resource-consuming competition.
⭐️Now (PoS): Security relies on 'Staked Economic Rights'. Validators need to stake ETH as 'Collateral', and their interests are deeply tied to network security. This is an inward game based on economic incentives and penalties.
This has brought about three fundamental improvements:
⭐️Leap in Energy Efficiency: The network's energy consumption has directly decreased by about 99.95%, steering it towards sustainable development.
⭐️Upgrade in Security Model: The cost of attacking the network has shifted from 'Buying Massive Hardware' to 'Controlling Vast Capital' (which requires controlling about two-thirds of the staked ETH). The security defense line has moved from the physical world to the purely economic realm, making it more solid.
⭐️Opening New Possibilities: PoS provides a clear technological path for Ethereum's future sharding expansion, laying the foundation for greater scalability.
Deeper Impact: Shaping a New Economic System
PoS not only changed the security model but also created a powerful economic flywheel. Staking transformed ETH from 'Fuel' into the network's 'Productive Asset' and 'Security Cornerstone'. This attracted institutional capital seeking stable returns, which through staking became the network's maintainers, further enhancing security and trust, thereby attracting more value.
In simple terms, the transition to PoS is a key leap for Ethereum from a 'Global Computer' to an 'Open Economic System Maintained by Global Capital'. Its impact is gradually unfolding before our eyes.
